Changed the gearbox/diff oil yesterday and found it only had 1 Litre in The manual says 1.65 but I managed to syringe the whole two litres in and and it was just 15mm below the filler hole. So get a syringe from ebay and get some fresh oil in!!!

Syringe available here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OIL-SUCT...199491?hash=item3fa7259c03:g:N1IAAOSwNa1bZGkH

Oil available here £8.60 litr:
https://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Results&keywords=s4p5642

Forgot to mention...You can drain the gearbox/diff oil ok from the drain plug underneath but you'll have to syringe the new oil back in thru the top filler.
It;s easy enough if you get the car up on 4 ramps or have access to a ramp or pit.

Thought I might do this tomorrow. Did you just do the gear box, or did you also change the oil in the rear diff? If so, where are the plugs for the rear diff? I'm seeing a bolt on the left side on the bottom and another half way up the left side. Are these the drain and filler bolts that you used? Thanks.

Keano said:

Changed the gearbox/diff oil yesterday and found it only had 1 Litre in The manual says 1.65 but I managed to syringe the whole two litres in and and it was just 15mm below the filler hole. So get a syringe from ebay and get some fresh oil in!!!

Syringe available here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OIL-SUCT...199491?hash=item3fa7259c03:g:N1IAAOSwNa1bZGkH

Oil available here £8.60 litr:
https://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Results&keywords=s4p5642

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That doesn’t sound right - was it definitely the filler plug you were filling through? (It’s on the front face of the gearbox and needs a 12mm Allen key to unscrew). Also, whenever I’ve had to add gearbox oil to a car (not just the panda), the bottles have a pull-out long filler tube which allows the oil to be squirted in direct from the bottle by squeezing it. Item 7 in this image is the filler plug that oil should reach the level of when full, and item 8 the drain plug - image here https://www.fiatdalys.lt/diagrams/22/22C141525C79C0DE4F86898657907594.png. There is a clear photograph of the very similar Fiat 500 gearbox in the third post of this forum page too... https://www.abarthforum.co.uk/500-abarth/gearbox-oil/

Note the rear diff uses different oil to the gearbox/front diff

The filler plug on my 2013 4x4 is on the front face but the the genuine Tutela oil doesn't come in squirty bottles like you say hillhopper, you'll need a syringe to get the new oil in, like I said drain from the bottom fill at the top and I put the whole 2 litres in.
When I checked the rear diff the oil level was close to the top up plug and it looked clean so I left it alone and put the plug back in.
The manual says to only use Tutela transmision fluid 75W by Petronas for the gearbox/diff but doesn't say what grade to use in the rear diff.

This is the syringe I used to change the gearbox oil on my Panda. Worked really well

Stick the bottle of oil in a bucket of hot water for 10 mins before doing it should help out

Yeah! Good idea Chris. Is that jug yer old oil kungfoo? it looks a bit used!!!

Next job for mine is an alloy wheel re-furb. I'm using a local place in Dudley West Midlands just a few miles away because they did a job for me on my 2003 Audi TT and the wheels were like new for just £130!!! I ordered new tyres to be delivered to the workshop and they fitted and balanced them all in the price...Perfect!

Keano said:

Yeah! Good idea Chris. Is that jug yer old oil kungfoo? it looks a bit used!!!

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Yer that's the old gear oil. The new stuff was a golden brown colour. Deffo needed changing ?

Keano said:

Yeah! Good idea Chris. Is that jug yer old oil kungfoo? it looks a bit used!!!

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I doubt this oil has ever been changed. I'm glad it's now done for another 30k and it'll be changed again, ?

YUK!!! Good job you got that out! What's the mileage on yer 4X4 kungfoo? mine is a 2014 and had done 107k, although there was only just over a litre of oil when drained it looked pretty good to be honest, not as dark as yours. Happy now though!

I've never ever seen oil come out of a gearbox like that in all my life even on a 1972 VW 1302S getting its first ever gearbox oil change in 2004, thick and gooey yes but still a golden colour! That looks more like dirty engine oil.

Keano said:

YUK!!! Good job you got that out! What's the mileage on yer 4X4 kungfoo? mine is a 2014 and had done 107k, although there was only just over a litre of oil when drained it looked pretty good to be honest, not as dark as yours. Happy now though!

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This was out of a panda 100hp with @70k on the clock. Very dirty gear oil.

murphyv310 said:

I've never ever seen oil come out of a gearbox like that in all my life even on a 1972 VW 1302S getting its first ever gearbox oil change in 2004, thick and gooey yes but still a golden colour! That looks more like dirty engine oil.

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I know what you mean about the color of it. It was definitely gear oil as it smelt of cats p*ss. Ive changed a few gear oils in my time and I've never seen it as black as that either. There wasn't any problem with the gears when in the box, smooth and no crunches. Glad it's out now and new synth oil back in. ?

Hi Guys

Proud new owner of a Panda 4x4 2014 TA. Want to give it a service before the winter. The engine stuff I am familiar with - oil, plus etc. What is new to me is replacing the oil in the 4x4's gearbox and rear diff. Any instructions on how this is performed? Also what spec of oil should I use in the gearbox and rear diff?

Thanks

soc Although people here have been changing this oil - there is no requirement to replace the gearbox or rear diff oil in the first 90,000 miles according to the service schedule. It does suggest checking the levels in the 'transfer unit' (which is between the gearbox/front diff and the propshaft, and can only be accessed via a lift) and rear diff fluid levels at 36,000 mile intervals...

soc said:

... what spec of oil should I use in the gearbox and rear diff?

Thanks

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Clearly detailed in the car handbook...

For the gearbox, the level is checked by unscrewing the plug on the front (note the car must remain level while this is done) and the level is correct when it just drains out of the hole. See this post for the location of the level check/filler plug: https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-iii/481555-twin-air-4x4-gearbox-diff-oil.html?p=4547549

KungFooPanda said:

This was out of a panda 100hp with @70k on the clock. Very dirty gear oil.

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Much more likely to be Moly additive to aid the sometimes unwilling gearboxes. It quietens bearings and should prolong the gearbox life.
When my Bravo box started singing I added a double dose before it was PX'd and it was nice and quiet.... Garage never even drove the car. It's jet black and so is the oil after a few hundred miles.

Blackening in engine oil is entirely down to carbon and combustion by products. Gear box with black oil is either a weird seal failure or an additive. If a seal has failed in such a catastrophic way most of the oil will be gone anyway.

Gearbox oil will darken slightly with degradation and will need changing, regardless of anything the manufacturer says otherwise as it is constantly chopped up as you use the gearbox and drive. 30-40K is enough if you intend to keep the car running smoothly. I bitterly regret not following my own advice with the Bravo. I was told there was no drain facility on thatand did not follow it up. From here on I shall drill the box and fit one if ever required. Hardly rocket science.